History-making woman kicker invited to Biden inauguration
Sarah Fuller, the first woman to score in a Power Five conference football game, says she’s been invited to attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
IRS warns of more coronavirus scams
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Since the first round of stimulus checks, the IRS has seen more COVID-19 scams. As they're sending out the second round of checks, they want people to be aware of a new wave of coronavirus scams.…
Tennessee OKs Medicaid block grant; fate unclear under Biden
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee’s GOP-dominant Legislature has approved a contentious plan for a drastic overhaul of the state’s Medicaid program. On Friday, the House followed the Senate's vote a day before…
Some airlines banning firearms on flights to D.C. ahead of inauguration
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - Travelers boarding flights to Washington, D.C., ahead of the inauguration may not be allowed to check firearms on several airlines. Increases security measures have also been added on all carriers. United Airlines, Southwest, American Airlines, Spirit, Frontier and…
Dalton and Whitfield County team up for Covid-19 Vaccine Drive Thru
DALTON , GA (WDEF) - The City of Dalton and Whitfield County are teaming up to open a Covid-19 vaccination site. Whitfield county and the city of Dalton’s drive-thru vaccination site will open Monday, January 18th and January 20th at 10…
Alabama man charged in Capitol take-over
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Investigators said an Alabama man has been arrested and charged with taking part in last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors say the man - Joshua Mathew Black of Leeds, Alabama - was charged Thursday…
Distribution of stimulus checks could cause spike in Overdoses
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn (WDEF) - Data from the Tennessee Department of Health’s Drug Overdose Reporting System suggests the distribution of the second coronavirus relief package may result in a spike in opioid overdoses. According to the Hamilton County Coalition, opioid overdoses…
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn (WDEF) - Love’s Arm outreach is a local non profit organization that helps human trafficking victims safely find a way out. Human trafficking is everywhere, even here in Hamilton County and officials say that Chattanooga is a very…
Governor says Georgia 'battered, is not broken' by pandemic
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is defending his record fighting the COVID-19 pandemic while highlighting a strong economy and promising $1,000 bonuses for teachers. Kemp's State of the State speech Thursday was shadowed by Georgia’s soaring COVID-19 death…
Over 1 Million New Unemployment Claims in Tennessee Since March 15
NASHVILLE, TN (WDEF) - The number of new unemployment claims in Tennessee since March 15, the start of the pandemic, topped the one million mark last week. There have been 1,002,908 claims since mid-March. New unemployment claims in Tennessee increased…
Lawmaker wants Dolly Parton statue at Tennessee Capitol
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A statue of country music icon Dolly Parton could be added to the Capitol grounds in Nashville, Tennessee, if one state lawmaker gets his way. Democratic Rep. John Mark Windle introduced a bill Tuesday that aims…
John Lewis statue may replace Confederate at the U.S. Capitol
ATLANTA (AP) - A statue of the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis could soon represent Georgia in the National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol. A bipartisan resolution introduced Wednesday in the Georgia House seeks to replace…
The new Space Command HQ is moving to Huntsville
But don't confuse it with the new "Space Force"
Alabama puts Covid vaccine reservations on hold
"Staff continues working to expand vaccine scheduling capabilities at the call center. At present there are no more appointments available at county health departments, but the call center will take your contact information and add it to a waiting list."
Mayor Jim Coppinger extends Mask Mandate
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn (WDEF) - Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger held a news conference this morning to discuss the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the county’s stance on vaccines. “What i am going to ask of the health officials is to extend…
Police arrest second man in killing of nurse in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities in Tennessee have arrested a second suspect in the fatal shooting of a nurse on Interstate 440 last month. James Edward Cowan, 28, was apprehended Tuesday night at an apartment complex, news outlets reported, citing…
Wall Street drifts, as even Treasury yields slow their rise
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting Wednesday as Wall Street continues a pause from its big recent rally, and even Treasury yields are stalling following their rapid rise. The S&P 500 was 0.1% higher after flipping between small…
Consumer prices up 0.4% in December led by higher gas prices
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices rose 0.4% in December, led by a sharp rise in gasoline prices. The Labor Department said Wednesday that the December increase followed a 0.2% rise in November and no change at all in October…
Tennessee updates nursing home vaccine progress
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - Gov. Lee's office is updating their progress in getting Covid-19 vaccines to residents and staff of senior living facilities in Tennessee. While we saw people lining up for shots for the Hamilton County Health Department, the…
Covid-19 Task Force Briefing
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - The Hamilton County Health Department hasn’t been able to vaccinate members of the community for about a week now. The Covid-19 task force says cities all across the state of Tennessee are dealing with supply issues. Since…
Tennessee lawmakers return for 2021 legislative session
By JONATHAN MATTISE and KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee lawmakers have returned to Nashville for their annual session amid a pandemic and an FBI probe that prompted searches of multiple legislative offices by federal agents last…
Tennessee Department of Health says the state is making rapid progress in vaccinating highest risk populations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a press statement released Tuesday: Tennessee is making great progress in rapidly vaccinating those at highest-risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. Within four weeks of Tennessee receiving its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, more…
Northwest Georgia Health closes online registration portal
ROME, Georgia (WDEF) - Health officials for northwest Georgia report they were getting people signing up for the Covid-19 vaccine faster than they could make reservations. So the Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District has shut down its…
Find out how & where to get a vaccine in your area by appointment
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - The states are now making it easier to figure out where to get a Covid-19 vaccine and how to make an appointment for one. Tennessee has now put an interactive map on the state health website of…